by The (Cherry Hill, N.J.) Courier-Post

by The (Cherry Hill, N.J.) Courier-Post

CLAYTON, N.J.- Gloucester County Prosecutor Sean Dalton said investigators have no suspects in connection with the death of Autumn Pasquale, a missing 12-year-old whose body was found in a recycling container.

"At this point, we don't have any person of interest," Dalton said at a press conference outside Clayton's municipal building. "There have been no arrests."

Dalton said he came to Clayton to thank residents for their outpouring of support after Autumn, a Clayton Middle School student, who vanished Saturday afternoon. Her body was found around 10 p.m. Monday near a house on East Clayton Avenue.

"I wish there was better news we could give you," Dalton said.

He said investigators are "gathering all the evidence, physical and otherwise‚?¶That will continue until we find out what happened."

"Today is about a young girl named Autumn," Dalton said. "I think our focus should be on her."

He also noted the girl's slaying was an unusual case for Gloucester County.

"Gloucester County is one of the safest counties in the state of New Jersey," the prosecutor said. "We have very few homicides in Gloucester County."

Autumn's family also addressed the media and the public at the same spot outside borough hall where just 24 hours prior hundreds of people turned up to start a massive public search effort.

"We have lost a precious, precious child," said Paul Spadafora, Autumn's uncle and godfather.

He thanked the public, authorities and members of the media for their response and caring during the search.

"It's not the results we wanted, but we have closure," Spadafora said.

Crime scene investigators arrived shortly before 9 a.m. at the house on East Clayton Avenue where the body was found. Authorities have not said where on the property the recycling bin was found. The house is just a few blocks from Autumn's home.

Today is trash collection day, and many residents had dragged their trash cans and recycling bins to the curb the night before. The covered recycling bins are collected by an automated truck that picks them up and dumps the contents into the back.

Police barricaded the block, and friends and neighbors came by to see. Some mothers said they were keeping their kids out of school for the day. Even before the body was found, students reported that Spirit Week had been canceled because of the sorrow.

One young man rode a bike up, sat on a porch of a home and cried, then biked away.

Clayton Mayor Thomas Bianco walked to the scene, cried, hugged a police officer and gave a brief statement to the gathered reporters.

You hear about it in other places but never think it would happen in our little town," he said.

Howard Kowgill, 60, who lives in town and, like many, knows members of Autumn's family, said the discovery of the body changes the nature of the town.

"Until they find out who did it, you don't let your kids out," he said.

Shortly after a candlelight vigil for Autumn on Monday night, police said they found the girl's body in the recycling bin.

The discovery followed two days of intensive searching by law enforcement and members of the community after Autumn went missing after reportedly riding her bike to Scotland Run Park.

Police today removed a bicycle from a home on the street where the 12-year-old's body was found.

Police said she sent two text messages Saturday afternoon but was not seen after that.

Police have not disclosed any other information as to the whereabouts of her cell phone or any other details about what led them to the house where the body was found.

Neighbors tell The Associated Pressthere is a boy in the neighborhood known to steal bikes.